x
8 Tips For A Better Book Publishing Experience
Publishing Choices
.jpg)
Image Source: Ingram Spark
I recently wrote an article in the main channel about publishing your book and I wanted to share my experience so that any of you yet to publish a book can be mindful of the potential pitfalls when it comes to choosing a publisher. When I wrote my book and completed editing it back in 2015, I had what I considered to be 3 main options.
The other consideration was the promotional aspect as it is one thing to get the book out there, and another to increase visibility so that those who needed its message could find it quickly. Although the first option seemed quite prestigious and glamorous I was put off mostly by the amount of control I would give up, a little less so by the royalties.
The second option was quite daunting for a first-time author and entrepreneur. So I chose what many have gone on to do, and that was to go with a hybrid publisher, who would print, publish and help to promote.
The Experience
The publisher in question seemed like a genuine person. I spoke to him on the phone, asked for a 3-year review of my contract and was given a commercial agreement with no upfront fee, and 1500 payable in total on the back end of sales.
That seemed reasonable to me and in the beginning, it all seemed to go well. I even flew out to an event to meet my publisher in person and he seemed genuine and caring of his authors.
However, there were some things I noted that did not seem to amount to anything significant of itself but over time became incremental parts of a disaster. My reflections from here are with hindsight and I hope they bring awareness to any budding author out there, who is considering a publisher.
When I received my contract to sign it seemed like one of those ‘off the shelf’ contracts. Paragraphs were in small print, bloated and lengthy at times, and the language was not easy to understand. When I went through the contract with my publisher I thought I gained a sound understanding of the essence. Even though my request for a 3-year review did not appear I was verbally told it was no issue. Please note this point.
There was only my signature on the contract and I thought I would get one that had both eventually so I did not make a fuss at the time. There were giveaway comments as we got to the book design stage that he, the publisher, had not followed his own teaching when it came to the cover design. He could not tell me much about the cover design.
I did not particularly like it but was too tired and just wanted to get the book out there, a bit like another that just wants to give birth after hours of labour. I then noticed that names appeared for this company and they were fictitious, not real as if designed to make the company look bigger than it was.
Finally, after my book was launched I bought a consultancy package on top to help me build out my teaching programme. After being given one-word answers on many things the final straw which made me pull out of further consultancy was when I was told to do a summit. Since I had never done one before I asked how. The response was to send me a WordPress theme. I never paid for any more consultancy. Finally, after the 3rd quarter, no sales reports were forthcoming.
One day I received a mysterious email suggesting the company had sold all book assets to another outfit. It went to an email address less used so I did not see it for nearly a year. The email suggested my book had not fared well in sales and that I needed to buy one of their marketing packages or risk discontinuation of my book. They also emphasized that they had a prior claim on any other non-fiction book I published.
Around the same time, a friend noted that I must be doing well with sales from a publishing course she had been on where she was shown how to evaluate a book’s sales in approximate terms. This prompted me to attempt to resolve the issues described above.
However, no response was forthcoming with regard to audited sales. Amazon was no help and referred me back to the publisher. The site then went down, never to come back on, and the person in question refused to give me the name of the company they had sold it to.
I have concluded that communication with no satisfactory outcome and now need to address the other company that supposedly has my book assets. I have decided to give my book away for free for now while I bring closure to this unpleasant episode. You can grab a copy here if you are going through traumatic times and need inspiration.
I don’t want any money but it would be appreciated if you let me know what speaks to you so I can see what is helping and what I need to improve in the way I share.
Learning
The above experience is not the first of its kind, and I am told this is quite a typical behaviour pattern of a predatory publisher. What this means is that they are opportunists on one level, and not author-centric. In this scenario, you are more of a number and a marketing statistic to help promote them than an important client.
It all starts nicely but the cracks slowly start to appear until it exposes itself for what it truly is. I am not suggesting that every publisher who makes a mistake or error is a predatory publisher. It seems that in the quest to save money upfront, I lost money in sales.
In the case of my own experience, I felt like the person in question was genuine, then lost his way in the course of trying to expand his business, and then reverted to less-than-honourable practices. For my part, I should have listened to my heart and questioned the contract with a legal representative. However, the expense was one too far and I trusted against my better judgment.
As much as it was a bruising experience in the end it was an important learning experience and it was only recently that I felt able to share so that others could benefit from my mistakes.
You won’t be surprised to hear that these days I am very cautious and selective about the events I participate in, and the people I surround myself with, so I was happy to be asked to share my experiences in writing and publishing experience by someone I consider a friend and a trusted colleague.
For those of you who get writer’s block have a chat with Laura. She is good at what she does and she genuinely cares, which is refreshing in this day and age. Laura is the one on the left below.
Image Source: Create Your Book Events
She is hosting a FREE virtual summit called Coaches & Healers- Ready to Author a Book? Go listen and take notes on this free summit, and hopefully the experience of others who have gone before you will aid your own creativity as well as impart knowledge and wisdom beyond the writing process.
You can listen in and use it to refine your own thinking on all aspects of authoring and publishing.
Conclusion
When you are choosing a publisher:-
I hope that by sharing my experience it will give you food for thought before rushing out to publish your book. Choose wisely because after all you have expressed your voice and nurtured your message to birth. Along the way, you have pictured your wisdom in a book that expands your outreach, transforms lives, and attracts new clients who are aligned with your vision and eager to learn more about your offerings.
Your message deserves the best launch into the world and the ongoing aftercare that enables it to impart life in life and business.
Anita Narayan
Author, Mentor and Coach
'Break Free from Fear so you can Create your Lifestyle and Legacy on Your Terms, Without Procrastination and Self - Sabotage'
